Share
Europod • News
Europe’s energy policies fire up Estonia’s woodland warriors
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Gail Rego tells the story of Liina Steinberg and her fight against the Estonian booming biomass industry. In the decades since independence from the Soviet Union, Estonia started relaxing its forest management practices, and large-scale logging has boomed to meet the demand for renewable energy and has become one of the EU’s largest exporters of wood pellets.
As Liina saw the forests around her shrinking, she took her fight from the streets to the courts. With the NGO she founded in 2020 - Save the Estonian Forest - she is campaigning against the pace of logging and promoting conservation. Her crusade is just getting started. Reporting on the ground by Isabelle de Pommereau.
“I’m not inclined to use the word ‘war’ easily because of what’s happening in Ukraine, but I can’t like describe it any other way than war on nature” - Liina
Key moments
00:00:04 - Intro
00:02:36 - Into the woods
00:05:44 - Birds at risk
00:06:43 - Past till now
00:08:50 - Industrial logging rumps up
00:10:03- Activism
00:13:52 - Pressure on authorities
00:15:37 - Credits
Credits and staff
The second season of Europe Talks Back is produced in partnership with Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw, and authentic stories.
The producer and executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.
The editor of this episode is Andrew Connelly.
The host and narrator of this episode is Gail Rego.
Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Boquet.
Reporting for this story by Isabelle de Pommereau.
Social Media
https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/
https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcasts
https://www.europod.eu/
More episodes
View all episodes
49. Israel's death penalty bill: Will the EU finally sanction Netanyahu's government?
05:02||Season 2, Ep. 49Israel has just passed a law reinstating the death penalty. This measure not only reverses a fundamental principle, but also discriminates against Palestinians. Because capital punishment will only apply to those accused of anti-Jewish terrorism. Will the EU, which strongly opposes the death penalty, now sanction the Israeli government?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn • Instagram48. Is the EU Commission unable to protect the rule of law in the 27 Member states?
05:10||Season 2, Ep. 48Respect for the rule of law in the EU is seriously eroding. This is what a report compiling data from 40 organisations across the continent has found. Member States are simply not implementing the recommendations made each year by the European Commission. Is the EU reaching its limits in maintaining the rule of law?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagramWill the EU ban conversion practices for LGBTQ people?
05:38|Only eight European countries have banned conversion practices. These so-called therapies often lead to PTSD, but they can go as far as driving young people to suicide.This is why more than 1 million citizens are asking the EU to ban these practices. Is the EU willin to do so?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagramWhere does the EU stand on the embargo imposed on Cuba?
04:55|Total blackout, shortages of food and fuel, lack of medication… The situation in Cuba is worsening day by day. According to the United Nations, the country has been pushed to the point of imminent humanitarian "collapse." What are the reactions of Europeans?Production : Europod in co-production with the Sphera Network.This episode is based on videos shot by Samuele Maccolini for VD News and on a story written by Antigone Panta-Harva for Popaganda and is co-written with Hélène Pillon from Médianes.Follow us on:LinkedIn • Instagram45. Can we, Europeans, actually reduce our gas consumption?
04:27||Season 2, Ep. 45European households are suffering high energy bills. As long as the war in the Middle East drags on, options to reduce this burden remain limited.One major reason? Europeans are highly dependent on gas. Can the EU actually cut its gas consumption?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram44. Italy’s referendum: Is Giorgia Meloni slowly losing her grip on power?
05:16||Season 2, Ep. 44Giorgia Meloni has just suffered her first major defeat. On Monday, she lost the judicial referendum she had called. A defeat that will not lead to her resignation, she declared.But could this first setback weaken her both in Italy and internationally?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram43. What happened with the Ukraine-Russia peace negociations?
04:24||Season 2, Ep. 43Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are constantly being delayed. That’s what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated last week. As his country begins to run out of missiles and financial support, can Zelensky still hope to get out of this war with dignity?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram42. Municipal elections in France: the rise of a firewall against far-left parties
05:05||Season 2, Ep. 42In France, a campaign to demonize the far left is underway. During the municipal elections, different left-wing parties joined forces to defeat the right and the far right. The right has labeled most of these alliances as "shameful deals," because they include La France insoumise (LFI), or France Unbowed. Is this the beginning of a real firewall against leftist parties? Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram41. Will the EU carbon market pay the price of the energy crisis?
05:26||Season 2, Ep. 41The EU is looking for answers to the energy crisis. Several EU member states are proposing to revise how the carbon market works, so that it weighs less on prices. But could this actually make a difference?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram